Dick didn't know what to do; throw another chair across the room or go back to Wayne Manor and yell at Bruce. He would probably choose the option that ended up destroying something or putting another hole in the wall. Damian Wayne was fifteen years old and he was killed. Dick was right when he found the shell next to Thaddeus's body. The last time he saw a shell like that was when Donna Troy was murdered. The Teen Titans were tracking HIM, the single biggest threat to Jump City and to the Teen Titans. He had turned one of their own against them. Terra joined the Titans then betrayed them because HE was manipulative enough to make her believe her friends had turned against her. Dick figured out that she had trouble controlling her powers, and once he said something she blamed Gar for telling the others. Being trained by the world's greatest detective always gave him an edge but sometimes he figured out things no one wanted others to know. They had tracked HIM to a clock tower, Donna Troy had gone ahead to try and reason with Terra, bring her back into the Titans but she had failed. When Dick found her, the shell was next to the body just like it was with Tad. Dick now knew for sure, HE was back.
Dick was standing in the living room with full gear on, ready to do something. Rachel had gone up to the roof to meditate as she knew HE had returned as well. The call came from Alfred that night, Damian raced off to find his grandfather's killer as Bruce Wayne was at Wayne Enterprises in London. Nightwing investigated and found the seal. The aluminum seal that He always wore was now in Nightwing's possession. The orange seal with only a single letter on its surface; an S.
"Slade…"
He kept saying the name over and over in his head. Rachel sensed his anger; she left the roof to comfort him. Dick pulled out a wing ding and stared at it. Going over its surface with his hand; over the razor sharp edges of the prototype alloy.
"SLAAAADE!"
He slammed the wing ding down lodging it in the table causing his gauntlet to run along the edge. The prototype alloy of the wing ding could cut through almost everything, even the titanium Kevlar weave of his armor. Nightwing's wing ding sliced into his hand across the palm. Blood ran down his finger tips and dripped onto the rug. His eyes shot opened and he looked at the wound on his hand.
"Stop lurking Rachel, I know you're hiding in the shadows."
The apartment was dark, no lights were on. He was standing in front of the window that looked out to the street; the only lights in the apartment were those of the city lights shining in through the apartment window.
"How's your hand?"
"Its fine, just a scratch."
Raven's hood was down and she still wore her cloak. Rarely did she take it off, maybe it helped her feel safe.
"What do you want Rachel?"
"Seriously? Something like this happens and you ask me what I want?"
She walked over to where Dick was standing. Rachel had a bandage in her hand and started wrapping it around his injured hand with his back facing her.
"I wanted to make sure that you were okay."
"I'm fine Rachel."
Dick turned away from her and stared at the bandage on his hand. Blood had begun to bleed through the white cloth.
"Don't lie to me just to get me off your back."
Rachel knew he was lying, she sensed the emotions swirling within his head. She was angry too, not for the loss of Damian but because Slade had come back. Deathstroke the Terminator returned after four long years. Dick turned to face Rachel, his mask was hiding all signs of emotion from his face but Rachel knew what he was feeling.
"Of course I'm not okay, he was fifteen Rachel. A kid. He had the rest of his life ahead of him and he went off to take out the one who killed Ra's Al Ghu. He was always a pain in the ass, he was arrogant and cocky. Why wouldn't he be? Talia raised him to be."
Dick reached down and pulled out the wing ding from the table, folded it and put it back into one of the pockets near his waist. Then looked down at his injured hand and pulled off the bandage and sat it on the same table the wing ding had been stuck in. his thoughts grew darker and his anger grew to a point she hadn't felt since she saw Robin rescue her from Slade. Dick passed Raven and walked down the hall to the elevator to the roof.
"Dick, no. I know what you are thinking. You have more than anger you feel rage mixed with sadness and fear."
He stopped dead in his tracks and turned around.
"You feel anger that's not directed towards me, but towards Slade. You also have fear. I can play this game too Raven."
"Yes, I am afraid. You are acting like Jason."
Rachel had only met Jason once before and knew she didn't like him. He wasn't afraid to kill.
"Maybe Jason has the right idea."
Dick turned to the elevator still trembling from the rage that had been building.
"I'm coming with you. You're in no shape to go out there alone."
Rachel had followed Dick down the hall to the elevator.
"Watch me."
He pulled the earpiece out of his ear and threw it on the floor. He pushed the button for the elevator to take him to the roof as Rachel stared at him. She could easily follow once the elevator came down. Or teleport herself to him. Nightwing got to the top of the elevator and hit a button on the suit, putting the apartment in lockdown. The elevator never came, the same security system the bat-cave has to prevent intruders or prevent others from escaping.
"Damn you Richard Grayson!"
The outburst of anger caused plates in the sink to fly across the room and shatter as they hit the wall.
1:32 A.M Bludhaven
Nightwing moved through the city looking for any sign of Slade. He knew how he moved, how he operated and manipulated the strings of all those he was in contact of. No trace of Slade, he never left one unless he deliberately attacked. Nightwing moved in the night, over the rooftops never leaving a single footprint on the snow that was just beginning to melt as winter had just passed to spring. Rachel was still trying to find a way out of the apartment. The security system designed by Wayne Enterprises nullified her sensing abilities so she couldn't find a safe spot beyond the apartment to teleport herself to. He moved to Stark Ave, back to where Scorch had been murdered. That's when he saw the knife with the symbol o it. The knife used to kill Damian was stabbed into a dumpster with the yellow R from Damian's Robin costume still stuck onto the blade. He knew it was a trap but what choice did he have?
Nightwing maneuvered his line and landed right next to the blade. No tracks in the snow but his, Slade must have thrown the blade. Nightwing pulled the blade from the billboard; Damian's blood still covered the blade although now it was dry.
"That bastard. He didn't even try to clean the blade."
He pulled the symbol off of the blade and stuck it into his gauntlet. Just as he tucked the symbol away one of Deathstroke's knives struck the ground in front of him. Nightwing back pedaled and got into a ready stance but Slade had yet to reveal himself. Nightwing scanned the horizon but could not find him. He jumped from the billboard, landing in the alley Tad was killed in. The chalk outline still showed the position his body laid in as he fell to the ground when Deathstroke's round hit him.
"Show yourself Slade!"
Slade always worked this way; he tried to intimidate others as best he could before he engaged them. It always caused them to panic in open conflict, make mistakes that could be easily seen and exploited.
"More intimidation?! You know that doesn't work on me. I was trained to do the same by the one who bested you since the two of you met!"
The voice rang out like an echo in a long dark tunnel. One that chills your bones every time you hear it, one that causes a blind less rage each time Nightwing heard the voice back as a Titan.
"Robin."
Just as he spoke he emerged from the shadow in front of Nightwing.
"That's not my name!"
Nightwing struck fast with his left arm, trying to catch Slade off guard with his escrima. Anything to gain the upper head. Slade flowed around the strike like the veteran he was. Nightwing spun back around with a roundhouse kick to Slade's mask and connected. Slade pushed him away and stood ready to strike again.
"It's been a long time Robin."
"That's not who I am anymore."
"Oh but it is Robin. All the failure's you had back then, still following you. Still haunting your every move. Constantly doubting yourself as a solo act, thinking maybe you don't have what it takes to continue this life. You're still in the shadow of the bat and you don't even know it Robin."
"Stop calling me that!"
Nightwing lunged for another attack but Slade's tactic was working; getting inside his head and making him sloppy. Slade quickly gained the upper hand pushing Nightwing against the wall with a sword to his throat. Nightwing quickly disarmed Deathstroke threw the sword to the side and engaged Slade once again. Nightwing landed a flurry of strikes before Deathstroke threw a throwing knife hitting Nightwing in the shoulder causing him to recoil and catch his breath.
"I'm disappointed Nightwing. Your form is slipping. Nobody challenging you enough? Random thugs and crime bosses don't put up much of a fight."
Nightwing tried to strike again but got caught with a knee to the ribs where his injuries from the police department two nights ago were still fresh. Causing him to fall to the ground.
"I must admit, you've gotten better even though your form is a bit sloppy. Your speed is quite impressive but not quite fast enough."
Nightwing tried to stand but Slade pulled out another throwing knife and stabbed him in the same shoulder. He fell to the ground again.
"I grew curious. I heard about a cape in Bludhaven who operated and acted as you did but then I heard that he killed someone called Blockbuster. How could I ignore something like that? The great Boy Wonder, the Dark Heir of Gotham that committed murder. I had to see it for myself."
Nightwing blocked out all his pain and stood to face Slade again. Slade knocked him to the ground a third time.
"You're determined Nightwing. Now that you have taken a life we are more alike than we were before. You've seen the look someone gives when they know their life is in your hands. The last flicker of hope that goes out."
1:47 A.M Dick's apartment
"Come on where the hell is it?! Where did you put it Richard Grayson?!"
Rachel was tearing the apartment apart trying to find the access panel or a password that would shut down the security system. She had ripped apart her room, the living room and now was tearing through Dick's. She knew she had to reach him soon before he lost control again. While the security system was active she couldn't sense him.
"Come on Richard I know how you think it has to be here somewhere. In a capsule or written in your damn taskmaster code you made us memorize. Inside a light fixture or anything. Come on damn it!"
She picked up his badge and threw it over her shoulder. She heard glass shattering and turned around to see a picture of the old team. They were all standing shoulder to shoulder with Beast Boy and Terra in the front row. Raven walked over to examine it.
"This is when we went to Tokyo to chase down Dick after he failed to beat Slade and go to Bruce's old sensei. Cyborg got sick from eating all that wasabi covered food."
Rachel examined the picture carefully looking at it like she remembered every detail of the entire trip. She looked and saw Dick standing next to her, they were both looking at the camera of course but she hadn't noticed until now, even then she didn't notice; they were holding hands. She turned the picture over and found her name written on the back.
"This has to be it."
Rachel ran to Dick's computer and pulled up the program that ran the security system and typed in her name. the security system deactivated allowing her to focus in on where Dick was.
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos"
Rachel focused in and found him then teleported to his location instantly.
"Come on Nightwing, is that all you can manage? You killed a hulking monster twice your size and you can't even beat a mercenary?"
Slade stepped towards Nightwing who was now lying face down in a pool of his own blood with three knives in his shoulder. Just as Slade took another step the dark alley became darker. The stray papers began to swirl, the shadows formed to the shape of a raven, the wings unfolded and inside stood Raven. Her hands were already encased in magic with her fists clenched ready to attack slade.
"Raven. I thought the Titans all went their separate ways. No matter, you're just in time to see you former leader here fail, again."
"You will not harm my friend!"
Raven stood her ground and Slade did the same. He moved to attack her but then went the opposite direction towards Nightwing. Raven couldn't catch him in time as Slade connected with his ribs again, Nightwing screamed in pain and collapsed covered in blood. When he collapsed Rachel sensed his thoughts, the darkest one she had felt but it wasn't about killing someone else. \
"NOOOO!"
Raven screamed, in anger towards Slade and also fear of the thought she had sensed from within Dick.
"You will never touch him again!"
She had broken Trigon's hold over her, but her demon blood was not.
A swirl of dark magic surrounded her. Raven's eyes glowed red, and there became four of them. She hovered above the ground, her cloak opened reavealing her demon tattoos had come back and they too were growing. All windows within three blocks shattered. Slade was hardly ever afraid of anything but this was one of those cases when something frightened him. Even he was afraid of Raven's true capabilities. She was one of the strongest beings on Earth and beyond.
"YOU WILL NOT TOUCH HIM AGAIN!"
Raven sealed a barrier around Nightwing that nothing could pierce. She then turned her attention to Slade. Dark magic encased Slade as Raven approached him; he swung at her almost out of panic. Raven caught his fist and squeezed breaking his hand in the process. Slade recoiled holding his hand; Raven placed her hand on his chest and released as much energy as she could, he was sent flying through the air becoming knocked unconscious as he hit the building across the street.
Raven turned to see Nightwing had fallen unconscious. Raven released one last blast of magic, there was a white flash followed by a pulse of pitch black energy. She and Dick were gone.